Feel free to send
me a message
(Netscape) If a dialog box pops up requesting a valid email address,
just go into Options, Preferences. Where it says helper
applications,scroll down to mail and news, then type in my emailaddress (rem
ata@uhunix.uhcc.hawaii.edu) in
proper place. Thanks***

Well, here I am trying once again to begin and complete this labreport. I must say that all this time that I have spent trying to familiarize myself with this system has been quite an adventure.

Today has been quite stressful since everytime I reopen my file (lynx
labreport.html) and edit it a few times ("e" for edit), I've run into
problems. My work showed in emacs but not when I reviewed it in lynx.
I felt angry and frustrated as my fingers blindly searched for a
solution. I kept sighing and finally found a command in the
syllabus. I decided to remove the file from my directory and build a
new labreport. Now, I have resolved that editing in lynx isn't
working, so I will proceed to use emacs labreport.html to make changes
to my lab report.

Now regarding the first week, I experienced a wide range of emotions. I was excited at the idea of learning to use the internet, yet I was also riddled with anxiety over whether I would be able to handle it. I decided logically that I should at least give it a try. My worries were compounded when I could not get my UNIX account. I tried desperately before and after my 10:30 lab for another class to access the syllabus and instructor's homepage through Netscape, Mosaic, and Telnet. All this to no avail. However, I kept telling myself it was only the first week and to just be patient until I managed to pay my tuition and get my account.Go to Top

I finally got my UNIX account on Tuesday, Jan. 24, but it would take at least 1 day to be activated. I was so anxious to experiment on this system I knew (and still do) so little about. I stayed after my Wed. lab and type in #3 (Windows and Internet) in the options section. I fiddled around with Netscape without success, downhearted but reluctant to give up. Remembering Kevin's procedures in Keller, I clicked on Telnet, and then on Connect. I found uhunix4.hcc and clicked on it. Alas, I could enter my login name and password. My eyes lit up and I smiled as I began to fill with pride. I sent my address to Dr. James and proceeded apprehensively to the WWW logon.

This next step was where my problems interacting with the system would begin. I followed my notes on the procedures carefully, but each time I entered my password (that is my last name), the computer responded that it was invalid. My pulse began to race, my face became contorted, and I was befuddled and on the verge of screaming. No, that would do me no good, only get me thrown out. I figured that my name or password have been entered wrong during my account's activation. I brainstormed every possible combination of the two and every variation of my name. Amazing myself, I remained calm throughout the time period until I finally had to leave as another class began filing in.

That night, I went to Keller Hall with my boyfriend to use an IBM computer. I showed him the problem, thinking he might be able to help with his computer experience. We continued the name and password combination plan, when finally I asked him to get the lab monitor. The lab monitor did whatever he could, but it didn't work either. I needed help, so I e-mailed (see the definition for e-mail)Dr. James about the problem, and retired from the computer that night.

I had read in my UNIX messages that Kevin would be in CLIC on Saturday. After work, at around 10:00a.m. I found him with Grant Harada, and he suggested that I get the computer next to his. When I got on the UNIX, I showed him what I had done in case he got something I missed. He reasoned that maybe the name was wrong and suggested a solution that I had thought of earlier;to spell my name wrong. I became a little dejected at hearing the magic solution, but I was grateful for Kevin's help. After a bit of trial-and -error, I came up with "renata." Eureka, I won that battle. It was a mixture of exhaustion and euphoria.Go to top

Well, I pressed something wrong, because I ended up going into the Gnu file and couldn't get out. I had to get out with C-Alt-Delete, and re-login. When I viewed my file, I had lost everything below this section. It's upsetting, but I can just retype what I remember. As I remember Kevin showed me how to make my home page. I copied the example of Gustie.html and was on my own. After an hour I returned to the lab to do my other files. Feeling a new kind of confidence, I quickly did that.

Another glitch arose when there was a strange sound, but no one notice. I rationalized that there was no problem and continued. However, later, the computer told my that we were being vacated in 5 minutes. I felt cheated just when I had something work out for me. As we waited, I was tempted to go home, but decided that it would be a loss if it didn't take that long. Not to long after, we got back in and continued with the quest. I read the class syllabus, and followed links. When I tried to print the syllabus, I had no such luck. I became bored and figured a change would be good. I clicked into the HCC home page, and poked around curiously. Then, we decided looking into the HCC e-mail addresses would be fun, so I followed the link. Ten minutes passed...nothing. I used all the commands I knew to get out, but nothing again so we waited. Finally, I became inspired. I grabbed the mouse, cursored up to file and exited. Voila. A little while later, I logged out a bit worn out but feeling very productive.Go to top

I felt so knowledgeable entering the IBMLab on Monday nigt. I did the usual logon procedures like second nature, and proceeded to the labreport. I remembered, however that we needed a glossary file. When I checked my own, it had everything that my home page file did. I created another file, but it couln't be accessed. Each time I create an empty glossary,I lost the file. I chose to revise my home page by adding a link to my glossary, this time keeping the glossary file with something in it. I created a glossary and returned to view it in lynx. I saw the same information as on my home page, but I wanted to see what following the link for my glossary would do. I had a glossary page there with the gibberish I typed to save it.

I returned to the syllabus, and while paging through it, my screen froze. I trouble shooted to no avail. Finally, I thought of the only way out left, C-Alt-Del. It worked, but then I couldn't get into the Web. The response to my password was "connection closed by foreign host." I repeated the attempts, and sent Dr. James an e-mail. I tried again and again, and my perseverence won out. However time was short, so I experimented different ways to write my labreport. I sent Barry an e-mail, telling him about my inability to finish the report, and shut down for the night. I was a little disappointed not completing the assignment, but I also experienced a sense of accomplishment getting this far pretty much on my own with a bit of guidance.Go to top

Professor's comments I'm wondering if this report is too long or short, but I don't think I could leave anything out. From reading this previous sentence, you can see that I am preoccupied with the lengthiness. Oh well, I have more to say.
I am getting more at ease on this system the more time I spend on it. I am uncertain about how I am doing so far, because 1)I don't know how good I should be at this, and 2)I am still unsure of what is expected for this course (to see how I turned out see Week 15. My dreams have become increasingly related to using the computer, since I am constantly thinking about what I have to do for this class. My eyes are so and sticking, my muscles ache, and I'm very sleep-deprived. Not as many headaches as before, though. Yet, with all of this, I can't help but feel good about my accomplishments. I reason that I deserve to feel this way, and I am trying to keep a positive outlook. I'm still on that surfboard, diving into the sea of knowledge, battling the waves of difficulties.Go to Top

See Jill's commentand Grant's comment.Hey, what week are we on? What happened to week 3 if this is week 4? Oh well, to cope with this mishap I guess I shall treat this past week as two. Anyway, I spent so much time getting kicked out of the system, trying to make anchors and links, and filling up my glossary, I have not much time to do this Labreport.

I must say that it has been a relief getting used to writing in the emacs format. I was having problems as I discussed in Lab1,so I just decided to type emacs labreport.html at the web prompt instead of using lynx then "e." However, I realized when I used the Mac later that I had the same problem as Grant Harada too see it. I found that I couldn't change the settings on the IBM, but I did so on the Mac. Now, I can use lynx. I coped with the problem by believing that there was a solution or more to each problem, and I'd find it(them) sooner or later.Affectively,I was a tad irked and frustrated, but cognitively I acknowledged the limits of my abilities.

Navigation
The lab is about to close, so I will continue this tomorrow. I understand that I should have this done tonight, but I do not have control over lab schedules..nor a way to hook-up at home. See you tomorrow.Go to top

Well, here I am again with a little time left. I'm pressed for time, but I'm trying to remain relaxed so I can make this time productive. I've spent the last half hour trying to link Dr. James' comments on my labreport to that particular mentioned paragraph. I kept getting kicked out of the system. Whenever I wrote in that a href part, I would lose part of my paragraph. I had to keep undoing my edits.

Now, I'll try to answer the questions for the week 4 assignment. I go through the syllabus and instructor's home page both page by page and by following links. If I'm reading page by page and am struck by something interesting, I will follow that link. I may continue following links until I don't care to anymore, and then, I back up to where I want to be.

This one is a little harder to answer. In terms of looking up something more specific, I have used a few different and still intimidating devices. I have typed in gopher at the unix prompt to look up things relevant to the state of Hawaii. I have searched through job listings there. In WWW, I go into the instructor's homepage to other powerful ways of searching and browse to find webworm or veronica. Those devices allow me to type in key words that would appear n the text potentially interesting documents. To be honest, I have been very shallow in my search for specific things. As I become more familiar with the process I will report it in later labs.

See Ryan's comment and Tina's Comment. When it seems like everything is always going against you, it is really hard to fight being a pessimist or depressed person. The inital reaction for a problem is to think that you have done something wrong. I suppress my pessimism everytime I work on the WWW just because I know how easy it is to fall into the role of the victim. I focus on trying to get as much as I can done in the time that I have, with whatever knowledge and skills that I have. I just keep reminding myself that I am still learning. Every little step of progress is something for which I silently commend myself for. It is important to realize that getting upset will not make the system afraid and start working for you. Besides unresolved frustration clouds you problem-solving processes within your brain. Go to top

Personally, I acknowledge my feelings of stress and anger and realized that they come up naturally. However, it is how I react to those feelings that makes me successful or not. If I choose to let those feelings get out of control,I spend more energy that I really can't afford to waste. If I reason with myse that I have done everything that I can think of, and I carry out those hypothetical solutions to no avail, then I can be proud of myself for at least trying.In that light I have not failed but have used my full potential.

One thing that has worked for me is looking away from the computer for a second, closing my eyes, taking in a deep breath, and exhaling while envisioning all my tension exiting with that breath. Check out Kyle's comments

IOB use the same outlook on depression as I do on pessimism. Believe me, there have been countless times where I felt like I was going nowhere and wanted to give up all together. The key, at least for me, is to take each little achievement (no matter how small) as a success. I think over what I have already done, brainstorm possible solutions, and when time permits, try out those solutions. I take comfort in knowing that Kevin and Dr. James are there when I need them.Go to top

I have to admit that most of my time is spent getting myself out of jams. I have gotten lost before, but I usually just back out of where I am with the u-key. I guess you can say that I try to figure out where I am first (cognitive)and decide which is the safest method to get out. Then, (sensorimotor)through trial and error, I eliminate dead-end techniques.

Information Shock
sTo deal with information shock (see definition) has been one of the most difficul tasks I have had to do. The rush of vulnerability just overwhelms to such a degree that I sometimes experience dull headaches. I face information shock by reviewing what I learned to do and what I know I must do, and I filter everything consciously after working on the system.Go to top

See Rayson's comment My reasoning processes, I think are primarily geared toward the future. I reason that subsequent exposure to the internet will increase familiarity with how it works. I take what I read and do,then rationalize and organize these things in a way that I can understand them. It's not easy, not even in the slightest, but I realize what I have to do in order to success in this class as well as outside. Unlike how Allison Asahina commented on an hour being a waste of time I find that it is usally in these short time periods that I figure out my mistakes.

I just noticed something. Why is the second half of my labreport in caps. I got it! I just checked over my report and realized that I hadn't closed the title on my Week 4 title. Thanks, Barry. I just talked to him today, Monday, and he explained his problem, which is the same one I did. The advice I have for other students is to remember to complete your commands.Rebecca had the same problem.

In terms of my goals, I hope to understand this system because there is so much potential to learn from this superinformation highway things that are not accessible elsewhere. I know that it will be a long time before I can even begin to really master this type of travelling through cyberspace. There is at least one very important lesson I'm learning here, and that's patience through and through. I was very high-strung when I first started this class, but I have learned through this past month's experience that I can't survive through this class with that attitude. A curious mind, flexibility, and constant drive to improvise and improve are just a few necessities in this class and in searching the internet.Go to top

While going over the material in each of the papers, I experienced a variety of emotions and reactions (affective). The words used by Tim were so unfamiliar and the things he discussed were like a foreign language to me. I was intimidated and a bit unsure as to whether I did the right thing by taking this class. I felt as if things were going right over my head, and it was a little frustrating. I came to the realization that the papers that I had were written when he was over a month into his semester (cognitive). Thus, I shouldn't be too bothered by the lack of understanding as I was just starting out.
I read over the papers several times, and with each time, I began to relate to Tim. I too experienced the mixed feelings over not being catered to by the lab assistant. I, like Tim, started this course only having used the computer as a word processor. This connection helped me to at least put my best foot forward. If I was going to fall, I was going to at least get that A for effort.

Tim really accomplished a lot as a student of Psy409. As stated before, the computer for him was a word processor. He learned that you need more than a modem and telephone line to hook up to the internet. He adapted to working with someone else on the terminal. He succeeded in using various searching devices such as veronica,gopher, turbogopher,etc. In fact, he learned to communicate with his aunt in Minnesota via e-mail. He was able to access various documents of interest to him as wellGo to top

His state of mind
OBThis student admitted being hesitant about the internet because of its unfamiliarity. He was tentative at first, but his confidence grew,although waning from time to time from setbacks. He observed all of his emotions (affective), thought processes (cognitive), and physical reactions and actions (sensorimotor).He believed that being in this class made him obligated to find every opportunity to use the internet to its full advantage. He was eager to succeed, willing to learn and work with other students, and determined to cope with whatever came his way.

See Grant's Harada's Comment.What I learned the most from Tim's papers is to keep a positive attitude. He acknowledged his negative emotions, but he focused on problem-solving and getting things right. I was amazed by the development he underwent through the semester. I learned a few interesting terms and found out what e-world was. There wasn't a lot of technical trouble/solving that I learned from Tim. I mostly learned how to cope with the stress of learning this system and the flaws that one is bound to endure.Go to top

Suggestions
One suggestion that I have is that if you have a problem, try to solve it on your own. You will learn more by interacting with the system in this manner. However, do not become so wrapped up in being independent that you lose sleep over trying to solve things yourself. If the problem stumps you, then ask for help. Don't only check with the professor or T.A., but talk to fellow classmates. They may have had a similar problem. Another suggestion is to take this course a little step at a time, and always face you reactions and emotions honestly. That way you can cope and keep a healthy, optimistic outlook on things. Believe me, it makes taking this course a whole lot easier (makes life easier, too).Go to top

I encountered some resistance to reading everyone else's labreports not because of dislike of the content, but rather because of the time that it consumed. I find myself pressed for time wonder where I'll find the time. The key is trying. I did and have not regretted it. I was able to see and empathize with what the other students have been going through. I feel a sort of comfort when I know that I am not alone. I think that we, as a class, have come a long way and should all be proud of our outstanding progress.

No TimeTo see Bev Diaz's comment((Wong:Please make a link between your paragraph and this anchor.))Speaking of time, I noticed that I am not the only one who has underestimated time and is scraping for more of it. Linda Wong, explains in her labreport that she didn't realize this class would take up so much time. She says that she has to find chunks of time to work on this.See it? Right, now, this dilemma seems to be the theme song in my life.

Surf or Sink
((Raad:please create a link in your paragraph to this anchor))Something that Jason Raad wrote also caught my eye. He talks about wanting to quit because of all the things that go wrong and says that he'd be gone were it not for the times that things went his way. To Read? Jason, I've been there, believe me. But you also amazed me when talking about searching the web. See it? You've have inspired me to keep that optimism going.

Finally, I'd like to end this week adopting the adage of Trudy Moore. She states: The trick is to keep things in perspective...That is not to say that frustration will not be a constant companion...Frustration is a key to learning.As long as I (Cheryl) control the reins on that frustration, I can learn what I desire to learn.Go to Top

See what Barry has to say? Well, I am finally starting this labrepor, an hour and 1/2 before the lab is about to close. I am using a PACX terminal to do this, and let me tell you, it hasn't been easy. I thought that it would be less troublesome as the CLIClab is full, and I figured that it would be better not to tie up the regular computers for other users. You don't need a student ID for this terminal;just walk up to one and log in. However, they have replaced the terminals used before with old Mac computers, and I soon found out how delicate the cord connecting the keyboard to the monitor is. This is my second terminal, a little better, but I spent an hour struggling with the first on. I spent another hour fiddling with this one as I tried doing a search through the web. I felt like smashing the terminal altogether, but I restrained my impulses trying to figure out ways to solve the problems. It is hard to do when my temper's flaring, and my heart feels like it's about to explode. But I did it, and for that I'm proud.

You may be wondering why I am behind in my work. Like some of you, I have been plagued by sinus problems and a flu that's lingering without going full-blown. My piece of advice this time is that do whatever possible to prevent this from happening. I used the computerlabs for this class, and it's difficult to come here, especially at night, when you feel under the weather. I am trying to keep focused on doing my work at a comfortable pace until I catch up, which I am sure I will. Enough of that.

Part of the assignment this week was to search for three traffic related documents and describe how I came upon them. I did not have an easy time with this assignment my searches on the internet have been only sightseeing and grazing the surfacesalso see Joleen's comment. However, I did find some documents,though not very exciting to me, related to traffic, and here's how the story goes.

#1)Well, I began searching for the documents by going into the webcrawler in Dr. James'assignment area for week 6. I came up with a list of traffic documents, but they seemed to be documents of the internet traffic. The statistics documents could not even be read because I was not on a graphics browser like netscape. I felt a little anxious, but I continued to tiptoe through other searches. I began to feel like I was becoming dejected, so I switched over to the unix prompt and typed in gopher. After all, I was more familiar searching here. I arrowed down to around town.

I am continuing again since I mentioned before (last night) that I was having problems with the terminal. I couldn't get the terminal to work without any problems, so here I am today. The first article that I found was called "Title 41-Motor Vehicles, Chapter 6-Traffic Rules and Regulations, Article 10" I was happy to at last find something, but the information made me bored really fast. So, I continued to read the list of other documents.

#2)I found the second document a little more interesting since I do a lot of walking, and the intersections where I live tend to be dangerous. It had to do with the safety of pedestrians I do believe. I guess I'll have to check on that and insert my findings. I finally felt like I was getting somewhere.

I became more adventuresome and backed out of veronica. This time I managed to get into the Worldwide Gopher & WAIS Servers.I tried checking the Pacific link, but it had too many users at the time. Then I tried the Internet Gopher Information Client. Big mistake! Or was it? I was warned that I was leaving the internet and given instructions in case I got stuck. I wrote down the command to escape, and a bit nervous but curious, I continued. It connected me to Byggdok which was about civil engneering. Much to my dismay, I came up empty in my search, and I used the command to get out. There is one thing that I must say. I found it somewhat exciting to venture beyond the familiar, and I learned to take that first step into the unknown in order to learn. Yes!

#3)As for my third article, I looked into gopher on UNIX again. This time I followed links through "around town" and "polynesian voyaging society. I found my chest of treasures. I consider this file to be traffic related because traffic is on the open see. I really couldn't narrow my choice of document down. There was so much to read on this subject: ways of naviating, voyages, crew duties, dangers, etc." I was exhausted and overwhelmed by so much information sifting, but this was worth it to find something that caught my eye.

(I have been unsuccessful in my attempts to link the documents to my labreport. I am still in the process of doing so.)

I was so intimidated by the variety of information searching devices and modes, that I ran to the familiar. I only realized how hard I made it on myself after I found the documents and took a closer look at the help that Dr. James provided. I could have accessed the same information through his files. I suppose the best way to learn is by experience. I don't really regret the way that I did things, though. I learned some valuable lessons...and I managed to mail myself some awesome recipes from gopher ("local kine recipes")!Go to Top

Well, here I am again, grazing through the students' labreports. Sometimes, I am so time-conscious and exhausted that I feel overwhelmed with this requirement. Yet, as I begin reading a few of them, I find stories and comments that catch my interest. I learn from them, empathize with them, and find my understanding expanding with each labreport. Take a look at the following to see what I mean:

((Diane, please make a link between this anchor and your paragraph. Thank You!)) Diane Beauchemin states in her labreport(to read it)how important the "u" key is to her for backing out to where she was before following links. I couldn't agree more. However, I do have a point to add: the "u" key is like a best friend holding your hand, or a security blanket...knowing that it's there allows you to venture out further and more confidently because you can always back out. By being able to head out into the unkown with the security "u," its more possible to learn even more!!

((Del, please make a link between this anchor and your paragraph. Thank you!))Del Badua also provided valuabvle insight and good advice about learning how to use both Macs and IBMs read it. She sees learning the mac as as an alternative when her first pick is gone. I have very little computer knowledge, but I am gald for one thing. I've had practice working with Macs and IBMs. There are pluses and minuses to each computer, and knowing both allows you to use each to your advantage.

((Carol, please make a link between this anchor and your paragraph. Thank you!))When I read Carol's labreport, her problems just jumped out at me. ONe of the pieces that hit me was her schedule crunch See it.She is a full-time mother, worker, and student. Now I can understand why she sounds overwhelmed in her labreport. On top of all this, I admire her pereverence (even though she claimed to quit:) and also see the progress and benefits that came out of it.Go to Top

This week, I have taken the time to actually see how the other students have been doing in the class. I thought that I was behind, but it looks like we are all moving at about the same pace. It's amazing how far we've come since the first day of class. I am stunned and impressed, but I wonder if we are doing as well as we should. I suppose that as long as there is continual progress, we are doing just fine. I found some interesting things from the other students'labreports:

((Kyle, please make a link between this paragraph and yours. Thanks!)) Well, Kyle Fujii surely put me to shame with his agility on the webcrawler. He states that it was his first time using it , but the things he found made me a little envious,see it to believe it. It has inspired me, though to expose myself to this searching device because Kyle has shown just an inkling of the potiential this search method has.

((Grant, please make a link between this paragraph and yours. Thanks!)) Grant has a valuable suggestion when getting stuck on composing things online. In fact, I have done the same things. However, I am a bit confused. Grant says that he uses the equal sign help him copy what other people are doing,see it, while I use the \ sign. Well whatever works, use it.

Note: Due to an overcrowding of whatever in the computer, I was having problems saving in emacs. In the process, I lost a portion of my labreport (a good 15-20 or more pages worth of text, links, and anchors =@). Therefore, the documents are no longer here. I apologize for the inconvenience.

...Well, that's life, I guess=( Yes, it happened to me; I lost part of my labreport. I tried everything I could to recover it, all to no avail. You know that sinking feeling, right? It feels like you should have known...like all the work you put in is down the tubes. It's hard to explain, but in a sense, it's like losing a part of yourself because you invested your efforts into it. It's not all bad, though. It made me remember that being on line is not being invincible. Everything has its weaknesses, and this system does not escape such vulnerability. I know that there's not much I can do, even though I am still at a loss, but I also know that I must cope, jump back on the wagon, and keep braving those rough rides. See Week 4to see the thought processes that helped me to cope.

To all of you who made links to the lost portion of this labreport, I apologize deeply. I hope you do not encounter the same problem. Don't forget to save to a diskette. Thank you for your tolerance while reading this, and thanks understanding the circumstances. Also, special thanks to Dr. James and Kevin, who gave consoling responses to my cries for help...Now, on with the show!Go to Top

I'll start from here, since the day that Dr. James gave feedback on midterm grades, I had finished week 9 (although he recorded up to week 8 for me at that time, the week after, when he told us our grades, I had done another week's homework). If time permits, I will backtrack and insert the previous week(s). So, here's week 10...

For part of week 10, we had to explore other people's home pages. As I remember, my sample size was about 25 to 30 different homepages. I went into further exploring within these homepages, based on whatever sounded interesting or off-the-wall. My experiences in sampling these homepages was fun and informative at the same time. It's amazing how people can convey their personalities through their homepages. I made navigation choices by picking categories accessible through Dr. James' file at random. From there, I scanned the list of homepages until something caught my eye, e.g. unusual names. Going into specific homepages, I then glanced at what they had to offfer, and if I was curious about a certain item, I checked it out.

What I found in my own sampling of homepages is that many of the homepages were not specific to one type. Nevertheless, each of the homepages I saw leaned more toward one of standard, artistic, or indexical. Most of the homepages were indexical, listing links according to categories relevant to the owner's taste. Doing one type of homepage is fine, but I think that a mix of the different types helps draw viewers' attention because everyone has a specific liking.Go to Top

I must admit, I liked some homepages more than others, especially those with an artistic tinge to them. The one that I enjoyed the most had a link to this 8-ball that would answer yes/no questions. It's a great way to relieve stress, particularly when the answer seems a bit sarcastic. It was called "jewelry_box". The format with matching icons to words was very appealing to the eye. The other one that I liked was called "jenspage," and I liked it because the items were listed according to category. It was easier to view things because you can just skip to the subject of interest and see what's available. She had hotlists and recipes that I'd like to check out more thoroughly. Finally, there was one homepage that I found particularly interesting because it was not in English. It sounded like a homepage for some Italian restaurant, but I wouldn't know. It reminded me that the internet is worldwide and of the widespread fame that it has.

I would really like to spend more time on my homepage, but I'm strapped for time as the semester comes to an end. Hopefully, I will continue an account on the web, and will have more time later. What I'd like to do is to organize things on the web that I found interesting, along with a surface description of my likes and dislikes. Putting something like the 8-ball item is a must because it makes things a lot more fun. Finally, I want to put in images that reflect me or my favorite things. Hopefully, these plans become a reality...you'll see if you're still on the net in the nearby future!!

My first reaction to Kulthau's book was initially surprise. I thought that it was just a handbook on how to do research. However, the book proposed a theory of how people gather and integrate information in the search process. Kulthau demonstrates studies on how high school as well as college students mature and develop information searching strategies, explaining the stages that are reached as the process progresses.

Basically, this book helped me in letting me know that I am not alone in feeling confusion and uncertainty when learning something new. Just knowing thatthese things I am and have been going through were all part of a process. It gave me hope and determination to go on, even when the future looked bleak. Sometimes I feel like I have come such a long way. Other times, I run into a problem and feel like I'm back to square one. Her description of process as being spiral helps me to accept this feeling and move on to overcome the next problem. A prime example of this is when I managed to get some files deleted. I have not given up, but I keep forging ahead, hoping that my efforts will provide a meaningful outcome.

Boy, did I have to learn to cope. We all did!! We did it:) It's been hard, but I think that coping has been easier by understanding. Kulthau mentioned that we go through a phase of confusion and negative feelings, but by stage 4 eveything becomes clear. I was so intimidated before, wondering if I was up to par with everyone else and not knowing what I was doing. After reading Kulthau's book, I can look at my seemingly neurotic thoughts as normal in initiating a task. It's easier to cope when you know that you'll understand with time and attention.Go to Top

I can definitely see the books theory at work when I look back on this past semester. When Dr. James lectured on the first day, I was lost as to where or how to start. THe project seemed so overbearing, long, and vague. I was wondering what he wanted from our labreports, how to do the first task when I had no idea what he was talking about that day. I started out apprehensively at first, playing it by ear. I looked over what was required in the assignment, and through the confusion, figured out what generally had to be done.

exploring?or lost?As I tried to do the necessary steps to complete the assignment, I started feeling overwhelmed. I was afraid that I would never get the hang of these html and navigating techniques. Nevertheless, I kept trying out new things, trying not to get too disappointed if things went wrong.

aha!I don't know when, but at some point, things started making sense. I wasn't just doing things mechanically, but I was using the technique to accomplish my goals. I formed a conceptualization of what I wanted and planned to do. It was an amazing experience. I still have a hard time believing we've come this far, from not knowing what a link was. As Kulthau says, we take new information, such as learning the html code, and personalize it...and build it our past constructs...in my case, basic skills using the computer as a word processor.

I think that even though we worked mostly with the computer, the fact that we could go back to Dr. James if a problem arose made us more conducive to trying and learning. If he had told us to only rules in a book or online, and not help us, we might think of him as the students Kulthau's book thought of reference librarians. The combination of actually working online and reasoning things out with Dr. James allowed the process of overcoming infoshock to be done.Go to Top

Others on KulthauOther students in Psy 409 seemed to find Kulthau's book a valuable and informative asset. They related their experiences within Kulthau's framework of stages as well as discussed some of the issues she brought up. I found these revelations interesting, but more so, they helped to broaden my scope of the book and of this course.

((Carol, please make a link to your corresponding paragraph to this anchor. Thank you)) Carol Alamares, gave a wonderful summary of the books important points. I agree with her argument that a library professional needs to branch out in abilities and responsiblities in order for our society to adjust and keep up with the changing media of information gathering and research.

((Grant, please make a link between your paragraph and this anchor. Thank you.)) Grant Haradaprovides an insightful elaboration on his progress in relation to Kulthau's theory. Like most of us in this class, Grant can relate to the uncertainty described by Kulthau. However, Grantalso gives another side to the story, the same feeling I struggled to hold back all semester. He explains how when he gets done with something, it has to start all over again with some new task. I have pretty much the same gripe as he does from time to time, I think. All I can say is hang in there.

((Jason, can you make a link between your paragraph and this anchor. Thank, you.)) Jason Raad, correlated his journey through this class very descriptively, and there was one part, that I could empathize with him on. That something was the feeling you get when things go wrong again after having gone right for a while. To see what I mean.)

((Jill, can you link your corresponding paragraph to this anchor. Thank you.))Finally, <Jill Kaneshiro gives a fine example of what is meant by redundancy. I won't even try to say anything else on this one. You just have to check it out to see. She also discusses how information gathering is not just a one person job. I couldn't agree more. I found that in working with others to find what I need or want, I progress even more and understand more than I would on my own.Go to Top

Well, I navigated through the Swedenborg Files, but I must admit that I am not one enthralled by the arguments and teachings of religion and philosophy. I do have my own religion and religious beliefs,but I also live by the idea that everyone is entitled to his or her own views as long as they don't try to impose them on me. Nevertheless, I read some of these files, and though I found some interesting and sometimes shocking informations, I didn't completely understand what was going on. It had the same format as the Plato files, on which the labreport I wrote is now just a faint memory to me. From what I remember, I wrote that I didn't like that the files did not have as many links and anchors, so moving through them was more difficult.

Just a GuessI had a minor problem in understanding what was going on, mainly because the information was presented in chunks here and there. I couldn't get a comprehensive grasp on the hearts of the arguments. From what I read, most of the input was on whether god and the abstract are real or not, or whether a feeling is physical or psychological. I guess they were an expansion on Dr. James' discussion on the spiritual or mental world and the physical world. Is the spiritual world real and comparable to the physical. When we feel, is it just a quickened heart rate or sweaty palms from the responsive organs in our body working too hard? Is it just a biological sensation? Or is it more than that, a dimension that goes beyond the physical. Do we see it through out thoughts, through what cannot be touched but can be sensed? I don't know. I don't know enough about Swedenborg and the arguments to be sure. It's just my guess...Go to Top

To my surprise I found the many of the arguments very powerful and thought-provoking. There was for the most part, mutual respect among the debators, and the exchange of thoughts was very lively. I suppose that the files were a way for people to express their philosophies in a civil, with no restrictions on language or the extremity of beliefs. "Conversations were made in an open atmosphere, which nurtured the constant exchange and unpredictable directions of artuments.

Most of the statements were incredibly rational. Some of the beliefs are contrary to what I believe, but I can appreciate the reasoning behind the arguments. The most interesting discussions to me were the relationship and meaning of existence for good and evil, in the first part. I think that the discussions took a lot of different turns, and in a sense, got somewhere. It opened up communication between the other participants to where they could integrate what they read to develop new ideas, questions, and comments. The gateway to becoming more informed and more thoughtful was opened..
Personal Matters

As for the participants, they did not uniformly approach discussions, but rather, had varying styles that were unique to each. It seemed like the participants were trying to achieve an understanding of issues through social interaction. Some were there to bring up things that they saw were difficult with societal promotions such as commercializing and rushing into the Christmas season. I think that the main objective was to to communicate things that they saw as valid and important.Go to Top

The styles and characters of the participants took on many forms. One that I found nonthreatening and almost humorous (yet, hidden were some very strong views) was the dear abby-type letter with Sam Malone and his pals. Da rok (featured a few times at least in each part), was very intensive and though abrasive, always explained that he was fighting the argument of a particular participant, not the personal him/herself. Some were mild-manners, while others chose to be humorous. Regardless of the persona that was emitted, the participants expressed what they thought without holding back.

I don't really know how to answer the next questions, "Was your visit useful?" It wasn't useful in the sense that I'm never going to be going to any philosophical discussions to use what I've learned through my visit. I already mentioned that philosophy and religion are not the most exciting topics to me. Yet, I guess visit was productive in a few different ways. I was exposed to a variety of views, which reminds me that my own ideas are not necessarily fact. I saw how social interaction on the computer can be very articulate...and safer, for now, since negative energy is used by typing and you can't exactly reach into the computer and ring someone's neck=>

I learned that it is possible to hear other people's ideas, see their validity, and still hold true to my own beliefs. I learned about what others think about what an orgasm is physical or psychological (yes, I really read discussions on this issue...somewhere in part 17,I think). I learned that without restricting people's thoughts and language, we also don't restrict people's expressions and reasoning. I was astonished to see the frankness in the files, me being so controlled by society, but I thought it was a good experience.MGo to Top

Well, we got a little break from Dr. James. Thank you, I really need the extra time to catch up.(See another time that I made the mistake of falling behind.) I've been trying to keep my files, and the problems with links resolved along the way throughout the semester. If you're reading this for a piece of advice, here it is. Don't say, "I can fix that link later." Later's going to be over soon enough, and then, you won't have time to do it. Also, you might forget which links didn't work, or where the mistake was. Then, you might have to try everything out, and this unnecessarily takes too much time that could be used to do fun, fun, fun stuff...in my case, I would work on beautifying my creative homepage and finding more cool items from the web to add to it. Well, time for maintenance, again. Til next time...Go to Top

Wow, I'm actually whipping just around the corner. And to think, just a few months ago, I was afraid of being left in the dust while everyone else soared ahead. Guess I just underestimated myself. Whew, better than overestimating myself. I don't know why I'm babbling, so I'll just continue with week 14.

How Do I Name Thee?
In regards to my files, I try to pick the most concise, yet encompassing name that others will recognize. For instance when people see the file name,art.html, they'll know right away that this is my art page. When they want my index file, they'll see that it's labelled index.html. I also try not to use same names with numbers, unless its partof the same document, because I don't like wasting my time trying to remember what I had in which numbered file. I think that the best way to do things is to pick a description that matches the contents, yet while stimulate recognition from both the creator and the reader. I like to keep it simple, so when I refer back to it, I won't have to type as many letters.

< a name="Interpretting Other Filenames">Interpretting Other Filenames

Interpretting other people's filenames is a little trickier, because they aren't formed according to my own constructs. I try to relate them to the most common thought processes, and hope that works. If that doesn't work, then I try to get a feel of the person's style and try to put myself in their shoes. Usually, the filenames are easily recognizable, because like the ones that I create, they describe exactly what they contain. Go to Top

With anchors and subheadings, I use pretty much the same perspective of interpretability. However, with anchors and subheadings, I have to be a little more selective. I put subheadings, when the material covered under major headings are a little to expansive. It is important for me to put the name of the week I'm working on, so the reader and I can figure out what topics have been covered each week.

My choice of anchor names have changed partly because Dr. James has tried to standardize the creating of anchor names. My anchor names and subheadings used to be independent of each other. The anchor names were one word, sometimes composed of parts of several words combined. The subheadings were longer and more in detail. However, as time went by, this format started causing problems for each of us in the class. We had to keep looking at the back of the page for anchors, which consumed a lot of our precious time. So we changed our procedure.

Since then, my anchors match my subheadings to a tee. This way, others who want to make a link to parts of my files don't have to keep flipping the page back and forth and doing searchstrings. In regards to the quality of the anchors and subheadings. I put an anchor wherever the subject changes or whenever the someone might want to link to something of greater significance within a paragraph. I try to make anchors and subheadings for almost every paragraph, so that reading my files are easier, and linking to my files can be more specific.Go to Top

Keeping track of my files is a job that never ends. I guess that's why they call it file maintenance. My files on WWW are kept track of by interlinking, because its easier than quitting the document I'm in, and then trying to get into another one of my files. After a while it becomes a tedious waste of time. After I had linked all my files, it seemed like a breeze moving through them and updating them. I can also see all the files in my directory by typing "dir" at the WWW$ prompt. I can also remove the files that are actually no good by typing rm and the filename. I can do the same in UNIX as well.

One thing I have learned, is that even if the server space is larger than your personal computer's, it is not infallible. Computers are not perfect, not yet, and one little electronic glitch could mean the disposal of your labreport or other files. That's why saving your files on a hard diskette may be in your best interest. It may not be the most updated, but at least all the work you had done before is still there. Saving to the hard drive is okay, if possible, but not as reliable as having a backup on a hard disk.
<>br>I was not so fortunate. < a href="#Live and Learn">(Here's why...) I never did that and paid dearly for it. I am tempted to indulge in those negative thoughts: "If only I had done...," "I screwed up,""How could I have been so careless..." I must realize that this is all part of learning, and I must work with the computer to get to my goal.

Keeping track of my files on Pine is a lot easier than all the other ways. Pine is a wonderful organizer in that it puts the files in their proper place automatically for you. All I have to do it to move my important mail from the inbox to the saved messages and delete the messages that are only taking up space. I update my other folders such as the addressbook, and after composing a letter, Pine automatically saves me a copy in the sent-mail box. At the beginning of the next month, I have the option of storing the last month's mail in a special file. It's a great deal. I love it.Go to Top

E-mail addresses are other simple things to keep track of once you get the hang of it. The addressbook is an invaluable asset. You can record all your addresses with nicknames. When you type the nickname in the "to" line when composing your message, it will retrieve the address for you. Kind of like those speed dial buttons on your telephone is a good way to describe it. I even have all the addresses of the students in Psy409 in one listing, so that when I type Psy409, a copy will be sent to each student on the list. Whenever I receive new addresses, I just update my addressbook, and it's all there saved for me.
Href and Anchor Search

Probably one of the hardest things for me to find were href addresses and anchors...mostly because I had no clue as to how to do it. I fumbled around on what I knew and used the "\" to flip the document and moved through the document until I found what I was looking for. Now it's so much easier. I flip the document over and do a searchstring procedure. After I am on the back of the page, I type "/" , , and a keyword. Voila, I am there. For finding href address, I use the "=" key which gives information on the document. There it is right in front of me, for my own enjoyment=)In Netscape, it's even easier because the address of the document you're in shows in the "go to:" bar at the top. When you point to a link, the href address of the link shows on the bottom of the screen.

I have just finished reading Dr. James article on titles, and found it to be very informative and helpful, maybe not for this class since it's so late in the semester, but for the future. It's too bad that there aren't any anchors because I wanted to make links to specific areas of the article. Oh, well, I will give an overview of his work and what I thought while reading it.

For all my years of education, I have always been told to be thoughtful in choosing a title. Yet, I never grasped the concept of how important title are to a paper. They are like the joints of a paper, holding all the rest of the text together. Dr. James mentioned that titles are the "meta-text " of the document, which is different from the ordinary text. He explains titles are paid attention to based on looks and ease of retrieval from memory. He says that titles communicate ideas on an "elevated"level, which to me means that they cover the domains of the reader's mind missed by the overt text. Thus, I see how titles are important, because we can organize our memory of information by using titles as categories.

I liked how Dr. James elaborated on the three dimensions affected by titles: 1)affective,2)cognitive, and 3)sensorimotor. However, some of the information went right over my head, but maybe I'm just tired of staring at this screen. He discusses how these three areas are according to how the raters viewed the attractiveness of the titles, how fast they could recall them, and and how they are influenced physically by titles. Titles, it seems to me, make a document even stronger when formatted and created well.

The suggestions that Dr. James provides in his paper seem to sound really plausible and should be experimented with more. It is of no surprise to me that titles from technical areas are considered less positive and attractive by others. I personally think that a title should have feeling, while still giving a clue as to what will be discussed. The most interesting thing I got from this paper, though, is how testing retrieval of titles can help in assessing brain damage or other disorders>Go to Top

Incredible!! Here I am, in the last week and still alive. It seems like it was only yesterday that I was struggling through my first labreport, struggling just to get the hang of the html code. There's so much to say about this whole ordeal, but I can't find the words to describe it. My body's worn out from all those long hours at the various computer labs, and it knows that rest is near. Yet, I also feel exhilirated at looking back on my achievements.

Who would have thought that these blank pages would be so full of links and images? The way they have developed is a representation of my development in becoming more and more familiar with the web. My web pages are not the best, but I think that they are comparable to the majority of my fellow classmates. I have all the essentials that are required in each page, and in some cases, I have found myself inching a bit beynod those requirements from time to time during the semester.

To look at my pages now and remember how awful they looked at the beginning of the semester and even at the middle, I can truly say that it's been worth it. There is a great sense of pride and achievement. I can say that I created this with my own mind, my own soul, and my own hands...not with my own computer though=> I took something that was required for class and made it my own, just like I'm sure just as I'm sure everyone in the class did. It is even more appealing to see in Netscape because my homepage has the same features as other homepages, but it is also unique to me in what it contains and how it is formatted. It was definitely worth the effort!! I only wish I had more time to work on adding stuff to it.

To the future generations, first and foremost,do not procrastinate. Try to master the basic skils early because the sooner you do, the farther you can travel. Once you know what to do, you should take off on your own mission. Don't let infoshock or stress get you down for it will impede your progress. It can't hurt you to try...I'm living proof. Don't get wrapped up in what's required. If you feel it's too much, take a break and try out something like Netcsape. You're still learning but having fun and indulginging your whims at the same time. If not , try working on your homepage,since you'll get instant feeback. Most of all, remember it's for your benefit, and please have fun!!

In the Beginning... When I first started, my only experience with the computer had been using it as a wordprocessor and to do graphics. I had no inkling about what all the cmputer jargon meant. I always thought that I had bad luck with computers. At some point I might, seeing as how the cyberspace monster got hungry and ate a few of my chapters=P I was apprehensive and a little perturbed that we had to start off on our own with just a notepad with greek scribblings (they might as well have been since I didn't understand them). However, I was not going to say that I quit without trying. Besides, it wasn't my computer if it just happened to blow up while I used it.

And Now...Here I am finishing a semester long journal, using html code without even thinking about it. I have a string of links that lead within my documents out to other students, to my instructor, and to web sites outside the lab. I have anchors throughout my files, to which some links some links have been made. I LOVE navigating, especially through Netscape! I have my very own compilation of web work, and I have three different homepages. I have also learned to put images up images to beautify my pages.

I definitely am happy with my accomplishments. They are larger than I could have ever dreamed. I held on for the ride, and I have reached my destination. There's no feeling like the overwhelming euphoria of accomplishing something. The experience will continue to enhance my self-confidence, if not my future career.

Nevertheless, if I could do something differently, I might have just moved into the computer lab=) I'm just joking. I would try to be ahead in assignments whenever possible. I would not take this class with other classes that demanded a lot of my time. I would take every opportunity to try new things out. I suppose what I'm saying is that I would be a little more assertive, take the initiative, and strive for the sky. All in all, I do not have any major regretss.Go to Top

Dear Dr. James, I want to thank you for listening and trying to help out when I was having difficulties. You should make sure that you have a T.A. like Mr. Kevin Bogan, who makes every effort to help the students and be available for consultation and informal labs. However, I do have some suggestions that might make learning more stimulating.

First of all, this is a class that works constantly with computers. Therefore, at least for the first few weeks, class should be held in a computer lab. This way, students can become familiar with the internet while knowing that ther is someone there with more knowledge to help. Questions and problems can be answered and fixed right there, so that students will not get as stuck in their development.

Secondly, I think that it might help you and the students more if you get a feel for the level at which everyone is at the beginning of class.It was very difficult for me, and for others to whom I talked, to understand what you were saying when I didn't even know what a link or html...or even pine was. In fact, maybe the first day can be an introduction into the internet and its relevance to the affective and cognitive aspects, along with some definitions, can be given on the first day since it may take some students longer to get a UNIX account due to tuition.

Maybe if students had less questions every week or labreports were every two weeks, students would have more time to think and explore the internet. They could not just give feedback on required explorations, but also branch out in their own explorations since there is so much information to be found on the net. This might stimulate even more enthusiasm for exploring the internet and learning how to cope with infoshock and initial and periodical frustration.

Some students may not have access to a computer, modem, and software at home to be able to do their PSY409 homework at home at any time. Lab hours on campus are limited to certain hours and may be closed by other classes. It takes quite a bit of time to come to the labs, especially if students live far away from campus. Not to mention that there other factors such other classes, work, etc. involved. Some students just don't have all day and night to be at the computer, while others do. Work should be delegated with these conditions in mind. Thanks, I had to speak my mind.Go to Top

In spite of all my petty complaints, yes, I think that this project should continue with future generations. The internet is the wave of the future, and the more students you reach, the more informed more students will be.The outcome is extremely positive, not just for the students, but also for you and the rest of the net users. Communication is promoted on a larger scale. Old files should be kept because they have personal experiences and solutions that could help future generations. I plan to leave my files up for that purpose...but I also didn't go through all this work to see my files trashed:)

I would like to visit again in the future, since I think that it would be a waste to learn all that I have to leave it all again. I plan to get an account in when time and money permit, and I see myself becoming an active user down the road. I like to explore different things, and finding things are the rewared. However, the awards you have created are good because they provide incentives and motivation.

Well, it's been a hectic semester that is quickly coming to an end. I am tired of writing right now, but I know that at some point, I will miss doing this and sharing my experiences with everyone else online. Hope you all have enjoyed it, and it was great being in this class. Over and Out****************